June 08, 2012

New cornerback Brandon Carr is finding his way home

Brandon Carr looks good in blue. He likes the star on his side of his helmet. Though only three months into his move to the Cowboys from the Chiefs, Carr is feeling quite at home.

"I’m feeling good," Carr said. "It feels like home right now. I’m settled in. I have the commute going, getting to and from practice. I’m learning ways around the city right now. Everything is slowing down, and I feel like I’m at home right now … I’m driving from about 30 minutes away."

Carr also is adjusting to a new defense, new teammates and something of a new position. He has moved from right cornerback, where he played in Kansas City, to left cornerback.

The Cowboys signed Carr to a five-year, $50.1 million contract to shore up a pass defense that was among the worst in team history each of the past two seasons. They are paying him, and counting on him, to be a shutdown corner.

"He’s been a great addition," Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said. "He works his tail off. He’s excellent in press coverage. He’s adjusting well to the left side. I’m really excited with the way he’s coming."

Though he is new to the secondary, Carr is the veteran of the team's cornerback corps. He has taken first-round draft pick Morris Claiborne under his wing. Claiborne, who is rehabbing from wrist surgery and has yet to take the field, and Carr are expected to be the team's starting corners for at least the next five years.

"I see some similarities from when I first came out," Carr said of Claiborne. "I don’t think this game is too big for him right now. Just from talking to him, his mentality, he’s excited to get back out here, get his rehab cranked up in training camp whenever they release him to play. He comes and asks me questions. I try my best to answer. …We talk about anything. I kind of give him some of my experiences, some little veteran tips on how to play certain routes and what to expect with certain releases with certain receivers."